Aerator having an enlarged stream outlet



April 1954 E. P. AGHNIDES 3,130,915

AERATOR HAVING AN ENLARGED STREAM OUTLET Filed Aug. 2. 1961 FIG. I.

1 LI? Air Air FIG. 13

== FIG. 2 Ii I? r l2 l w /ZI l8 2o INVENTOR Elie P. Aghnides ATTORNEYS United States Patent Ofiice 3,130,915 Patented Apr. 28, 1964 sasspis AERATOR HAVIRIG AN ENLARGE!) STREAM OUTLET Elie P. Aghnides, 46 W. 54th St, New York 19, N.Y. Filed Aug. 2, 1961, Ser. No. 128,8fi2 5 Claims. ((11. 239-427) This invention relates to aerators and more particularly to aerators of the type adapted to be attached to the spout end of a water faucet. Such aerators convert the solid stream of water in the faucet into a coherent jet of aerated water laden with numerous small bubbles. Basically such aerators comprise an upstream diaphragm which produces one or more jets of Water, and one or more downstream screens which finely break up the water, the broken water with air and discharge it as the aforesaid coherent jet laden with numerous small bubbles. The mixing space immediately above the uppermost screen is exposed to :air outside the casing, thereby to provide the air necessary for aeration.

In the past such aerators have employed a water outlet which is smaller than the opening in the faucet, and this fact, together with the fact that the aerator itself provides some resistance to the flow of water, greatly reduces the amount of water which may be discharged from a faucet containing an aerator, as compared with the amount of water that is discharged from the same faucet without the aerator.

The main object of this invention is to provide an aerator with a larger outlet than has heretofore been commercially found feasible, whereby the amount of water discharged from the aerator may be increased.

Another object of this invention is to improve upon the several component parts of the aerator.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear as this description proceeds.

In carrying out the foregoing objects, I provide an arrangement at the downstream end of the aerator, for supporting the screen or screens, which occupies minimum space and thereby provides maximum space for the water and air.

I also provide an upstream disc with a flange which rests upon the top of the casing; this being a better means or support than has heretofore been commercially employed.

This application is a continuation in part of my prior co-pending application Serial No. 117,484, filed May 9, 1961, entitled Aerators Having Enlarged Stream Outlets, of my prior copending application Serial No. 110,547 filed May 16, 1961, and of my prior copending application Serial No. 110,548, filed May 16, 1961, each of the latter entitled Slotless Aerator.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a cross sectional view of one form of the invention.

FIGURE 1-A is a bottom view of a small section of the casing of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE l-B is a top, or bottom, view of the screen and its support, employed in conjunction with the aerator of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 2 is a cross sectional view of a modified form of the invention.

In FIGURE 1, rigid metal casing 111* has outside threads 11 adapted to mate with threads on the inside of a faucet thereby to hold the aerator in the faucet. Faucets with internal threads normally have a water outlet opening above the level of the threads, which is substantially smaller in diameter than the threads, whereby there is an internal ledge within the faucet immediately above the threads of the faucet. Since this is standard equipment on substantially all modern faucets that have internal threads, it has not been shown in the drawing. I

provide a molded polyethylene disc 12 having flange 13 at its upper end which extends over the top edge of the casing 111', and therefore when the aerator is inserted into the faucet and tightened as much as possible, the flange 13 will be compressed between the upper edge of the casing 111 and the ledge that is inside of the faucet. Since polyethylene is somewhat soft in nature, it is capable of acting as a washer and it thereby prevents water from leaking past the same, and it also is not subject to clogging by calcium deposits. The water is directed through the holes 14- in the disc 12. These holes are constructed according to the teachings of my prior co-pending application Serial No. 640,859 filed February 18, 1957, entitled Water Aerators, now US. Patent No. 2,998,929 granted September 5, 196 1. The disc 12 may have a handle 15 whereby the housewife can readily remove the same from the casing and a spacing member 116 which presses against the upstneam screen 17 mounted in a frame 18. Except for the construction of the external projections which will be described in the next sentence, screen 17 and its frame 18 are constiucted according to the teachings of my prior co-pending application SN. 730,568, filed April 24, 1958, entitled: Framed Movable Screen for Use in Aerator Devices, now US. Patent No. 2,998,932 granted September 5, 196 1. Projecting from the periphery of the frame are a number of projections 19 which are adapted to rest on in-turned lips 111A and 10B of the casing 10 (see FIGURE 1A).

The casing 111 has nine in-turned lips such as 19A and 10B each spaced 40 from its adjacent lip. As shown in FIGURE 18, there are a series of projections 19 around the periphery of frame 18 and these projections 19 come in sets of three, the projections of each set being 120 apart. It follows that whenever one projection 19 of a set of three is resting on one of the lips, for examplelip 10A, the other two projections 19 of the same set would be resting on two other lips respectively of the set of three, these latter lips: being spaced 120 respectively on each side of lip 10A. The width of the lips ldA, 10 B, etc., are so related to the width of the projections 19', and the projections 19 are of such spacing from each other, so that when the screen is rotated about its axis, the first set of projections rest upon a set of three lips, for example the set that includes lip 10 8, before the :set of projections 19 which is resting on the set of lips that includes 10A leaves those lips. Consequently, at all times a set of three projections 19, spaced 120 from each other, will be resting on a set of three lips of the casing 11). This is true no matter at what angle the frame 18 is rotated about its axis.

A result of the foregoing arrangement of lips and projections is that the amount of area required for support of the screens is small and a large amount of air may pass between the lips 19A, 16B, etc, and between the projects 19, to the mixing space between disc 12 and the screens 17. In other words, this aerator is more efficient than the prior art because it utilizes less area for supporting the screens and provides more area for entry of air for a given screen diameter. Stated in another way, the screen diameter may be made larger without loss of efficiency.

In FIGURE 2, casing 211 has external threads 21 and is adapted to fit into a faucet having a ledge the same as in connection with FIGURE 1. The details of this conventional ledge will not be described again. Disc 12 is the same as in connection with FIGURE 1 and needs no further description. Immediately below the threads 21, the casing 211 has enlarged inside [and outside diameter, and also has a slot 22 for allowing air to enter. The downstream .end of the casing 20* has four small inturned lips 23 (only three of which are shown) on which the frame 24 of the screen 25 rests.

The screen and its frame 24- may not be inserted through the top end of the casing 23 under any circumstances. However, if the disc 12 is removed, the screen and its frame 24 may be inseuted through the downstream end of the aerator by slanting it at the angle shown in broken lines whereby the center line of the screen is nearly perpendicular to the center line of the aerator. In this position the screen may be projected into the aerator and then rotated until the center line of the screen is aligned with that of the casing, whereby the screens may be placed in their final position in which the frame 24 rests upon the lips 23.

It is not possible for the housewife accidental-1y to push the screens out of the casing because they cannot be removed from the casing as long as the disc 12 remains in place; in other words, as long as the aerator is installed on the faucet.

An advantage of supporting the upstream disc 12. and 42 of FIGURES 1, and 2 with a flange such as 33, is that legs on the disc 12 are avoided.

While there have been described above what are presently believed to be the preferred forms of the invention, variations thereof will be obvious to those skilled in the ant and all such changes and variations which fall within the spirit of the invention are intended to be covered by the generic terms in the appended ciaims, which are variably worded to that end.

I claim to have invented:

1. An aerator comprising a casing having a plurality of spaced inturned lips at its downstream. end, screen means having projections extending outwardly therefrom and positioned to rest on said lips so that air may enter the spaces between said lips and between said projections, jet forming means upstream the screen means for directing at least one jet onto said screen means, the resistance of the screen means being proportioned to the jet forming means to produce a coherent jet laden with numerous small bubbles, that portion of the inner side wall of the casing which is located between said lips being parallel to the axis of the casing from the extreme downstream end of the casing to a position above the lips and thereafter remaining parallel to the axis up to the level of the screen means to thus provide a straight :air path from the extreme downstream of the aerator past the screen means.

2. An aerator as defined in claim 1 in which said jet forming means has a flange extending outwardly therefrom at its upstream end and resting on the upper edge of the casing thus to support the jet forming means, the projections on the screen means resting on said lips.

3. An aerator comprising a casing, jet forming means having a flange at its upstream end which extends over the upper end "of the casing thus to support the jet forming means, said jet forming means having a diameter downstream of the flange slightly smaller than the inside diameter of the casing, said flange being composed of soft material capable of acting as a washer, and mixing means downstream the jet forming means for finely breaking up the water and mixing it with air to produce a coherent jet laden with numerous small bubbles, the space between the jet forming means and the mixing means being exposed to air outside the casing to provide for the air needed for aeration.

4. An aerator comprising a cylindrical casing adapted to be connected at its upstream end to a water faucet, said casing having external threads for engagement with internal threads of the faucet, said casing having a top surface at its upstream end, a perforated disc of a diameter smaller than the outside diameter of the casing and larger than the inside diameter of the casing, said disc resting on said top surface and having perforations therethrough for directing jets of Water into the casing, and mixing means spaced below the disc for finely breaking up the water and mixing it with air to form a coherent jet laden with numerous small bubbles, the space between .the disc and the mixing means being in conununication with air outside the casing.

5. An aerator comprising a tubular casing adapted to be connected at its upstream end to a source of water under pressure and having jet forming means for increasing the velocity while decreasing the cross-section of the water, mixing means in the casing and downstream of the jet forming means for finely breaking up the water from the jet forming means and mixing that water with air to form a coherent jet of aerated Water laden with numerous small bubbles, the lower end of the casing having a plurality of spaced iii-turned lips, the aggregate space between lips as measured along the inner wall of the casing being large as compared to the aggregate width of the lips, said mixing means having a plurality of projections extending outwardly therefrom and respectively resting on said lips, the aggregate spaces between said projections measured along the outer surface of the mixing means being large as compared to the aggregate width of the projections, the inner wall of the casing being parallel to the axis of the casing throughout the portions thereof between said lips starting at the extreme lower end of the casing and extending to a level above the Aghnidcs Mar. 31, 1953 Aghnides Sept. 5, 1961 

1. AN AERATOR COMPRISING A CASING HAVING A PLURALITY OF SPACED INTURNED LIPS AT ITS DOWNSTREAM END, SCREEN MEANS HAVING PROJECTIONS EXTENDING OUTWARDLY THEREFROM AND POSITIONED TO REST ON SAID LIPS SO THAT AIR MAY ENTER THE SPACES BETWEEN SAID LIPS AND BETWEEN SAID PROJECTIONS, JET FORMING MEANS UPSTREAM THE SCREEN MEANS FOR DIRECTING AT LEAST ONE JET ONTO SAID SCREEN MEANS, THE RESISTANCE OF THE SCREEN MEANS BEING PROPORTIONED TO THE JET FORMING MEANS TO PRODUCE A COHERENT JET LADEN WITH NUMEROUS SMALL BUBBLES, THAT PORTION OF THE INNER SIDE WALL OF THE CASING WHICH IS LOCATED BETWEEN SAID LIPS BEING PARALLEL TO THE AXIS OF THE CASING FROM THE EXTREME DOWNSTREAM END OF THE CASING TO A POSITION ABOVE THE LIPS AND THEREAFTER REMAINING PARALLEL TO THE AXIS UP TO THE LEVEL OF THE SCREEN MEANS TO THUS PROVIDE A STRAIGHT AIR PATH FROM THE EXTREME DOWNSTREAM OF THE AERATOR PAST THE SCREEN MEANS. 